Sen. Richardson Named to Head S.C. Department, Replacing Kitzman

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford has named Senator Scott Richardson of Hilton Head as the director of the Department of Insurance, pending Senate confirmation.

Richardson, 55, was elected to the South Carolina Senate in 2000, and previously served in the S.C. House from 1993 through 1996. Richardson has worked in insurance, currently works with Sea Pines Real Estate, and resides on Hilton Head. In the Senate, he serves on the Finance Committee and the Banking and Insurance Committee.

Eleanor Kitzman, the current Insurance director, has resigned from the post but will remain at the agency for an interim period during Richardson’s transition.

“While Eleanor has certainly done a lot of good things at the Department of Insurance – particularly with regard to the captives industry – when you look at the situation that has developed for all of U.S. coastal insurance as a result of Hurricane Katrina, we thought Scott would bring a skill set to the position key to addressing that situation,” Gov. Sanford said. “Scott, like me, believes that market reforms have to drive the solution to the insurance problems along the coast. Add to that his relationships in the General Assembly and his private sector experience, and you’ve got a person who’s uniquely qualified for this spot. I want to thank Eleanor for all of her hard work, and welcome Scott to the team.”

“The coastal insurance problem is one that I’ve certainly heard a lot about from my constituents and from my colleagues in the Senate,” said Richardson. “I’m eager to take on this issue as the director, and work with the governor’s office and the legislature toward solutions.”

Source: Governor’s Office